Antifriction-bearing.



UNIT-ED STATES PATENT @Frm HENRY. B. KEIPEB, lor LANCASTER, PENNSYLVAIA; s

ANrIrRIcTIoN-BEARING,

997,921, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July'l'l, 191.1",

, l Application ined August 1910, serial rm.'57e,15.= .v

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional el vation of said A55 bearing g4 Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse secl tion of the same taken on thelineA-llof Fig. l; F ig. 5 is a plan View f the cone with 'assembled rollers and 'balls'"reinoved'ffrointhe outer ring or 'bearingmeinben;Fig.' 6 is 60 -a perspective Vie W of the?v inner `bearing-f member or cone; Fig. 7 is a d et'ailysectional vfragmentary view of a modiliedform of .bearing in which the aXial connectionsfof the rollers vare loose and' adaptedj to serve as 65 idlers separating the balls.' In Sheet 2 bf the drawings, whereinr I have! illustrated'a modified form of my inventioi1,.Figs.` Sto 13 are views corresponding With Figs. 1"'tof 6, respectively, 'of Sheet '1, showing a 'doable 70 circular series' of balls and aQ'triple circular series of conical ro1le 'rs' of A greaterjlength than those shown in Sheet' 'lthefseveral To all 'whom tmay concern; n Be itfknown that I, HENRY B. KEIPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Lancastery in the county of Lancaster and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented-certai-n new and useful Improvements in Antifriction-Bearings7 of Which' the following is'aspecification.A f

This invention relates to anti-friction bearings,;and more particularly to thatclass of bearingsin which concentric rings'or cylindrical bearing membersf are use-d with balls or rollers between the rings arranged in circular series for sustaining pressure `and 15 reducing friction. X

The primary vobject'of the invention is to provide an improved annular ball and roller bearing in lwhich the "cylindrical bearing members or rings have their bearingsur-- faces inclined ort-aperedand converging to lp arts belngarranged and operating substan- Wardv one'fk "sidepgthereo': together with balls tially as described Withreference to the con- 7 5 andA conical "rollers arranged in circular St'lllC-tiOIlIShOWn in She 1,'buts'lltulli series between said rlngs and practically different to permit the'use'ofalarger 'filling the annular` conical space thereb er of rollers and'balls. between" in Suf'h ma-DHSIRS t0 distribute the Referring to said. drawings,y in tvhi'chthe ,pressure`betweenthe-rollers and balls over same referenceuletters 'areflised'to denote 80 "almost the entirev bearing surface, the device 'corresponding parts in different views, the i -being adapted tosustain both radial presletter'lA denotes an outer cliplikefbearing sure and end thrust, and possessing great member or ring; having affsmooth; interiory tlllgth and eflciency and :durability .in 'bearing surface which is inclined;'fionil'its practical use.- outer to its inner edge or side aird`. vithin 85' 4 i Further' objects are to'provide a device of which is placed an inner conical bearing Y the character referredto in which the sevmember or cone B, which is 'inclined for eral partswar 'assembled in compact form` tapered .in the-same direction as fthey inner and held together sofas. to be capable rof 'side' of the outer bearinginernber, so as`to beinghandledas a unit, Without liability of provide a circular opening betweenthetivo 9 0 permitting anyof the vballs or 'rollers todi'op rings of greater, `W1dth at one side th an at -out .when y'thefdevice is removed from the the ot her, onconverging` toward one side'fof bearingsio'r of use, the'vballs carrying the bearing. lThe cone B has alsof` annulary 40 apart of theloadand at the Sametime sep; grooves in its periph'eryto provide'-raceways -aratingthe'rollers, and beinglikeyvise'keptl 'for a plurality 0f ClfCul' .,Sfllesfl-f9llei's 95 A apart by the 'rolle'rs,l so that spacers 01 and balls. As shownin Figs'. 4' andg,` ithas 591931313013 Which 'are .liable t0 lnlufe th ,neiir each edge or margin an annular 4grecve bearingaredispensed with.` b andabout midwaythereofnan annular The invention'- will rstl be hereinafter groove c, the latterfbeing preferably concave more particlarly described, with reference. lin Crosssection to-conform to the curvature 100 tothe accompanying'drawings, which are to of a ball, While the Inarginal grooves b f betakenms a part of this specification, and have preferably flat bottoms Withma ral then pointed out in the claims at the ,endof ribs or flanges to. recelve and gu 1de the.idescription.H spondingly shaped rollers. V Ho Weve r, he

. LFigul-@g1 f the drawings represents a side form of the groove 1s.11nmat er1 a l and e .1.0.5

elevation an annular ball androller bear-l varied according vto the shape o f or ing embodying `my in'ventiongfFig. .2 a roller element used or of.any desiredshape sijnilarvievs lookingart-thea;.oppositek Side; 1n cross-section. A clrcularseriesofballs are placedV between the rings in the. annular groove c, being separated by axial portionsor connections rl between the rollers D.

The rollers D, D are of conical orm,be

ing connected in' pairs by axial portions d4 which are preferably 'rigid therewith and concave at the center to conform to the cury vature of an interposed ball, thus adapting the balls to hug the rollers Closely and serve 'as separators, while the rollers likewise serve as separators for the balls. Such construction in. .effect comprises a circular se.-v

ries of axes carrying a double or, multiple the inner bearing niember or cone with the assembled rollers and balls may be kept together when removed from the outer bear.

ing member, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. These bands may consist merely of split rings such as are in common use adapted to be sprung over the rollers and balls and hold the parts together, or solid rings may be employed which, when expanded by heat, may be slipped into place andre,

tained by contraction of the metal in cooling. y

It will bef observed thatthe inclined or tapering forni of the bearing surfaces of the outer and inner bearing membersv or rings adapts the rollers and balls'to take both radial and end thrust. Either ringlniay be held stationary and the other revolved, or both rings may revolve in the saine or opposite directions, and separation by end*- wise movement of one relativelyto the Iother can be accomplished only. by moving the outer rino' in the direction of 'convergence of the inc ined bearing surfaces, or by moving the inner ring in the opposite direction, and any tendency of either ring to move in the reverse direction, the other rinor lbeing lxed or stationary, will be resisted by contact of the balls and rollers withtlie converging bearing surfaces, thus resistingend thrust.

I thus provide a very simple, efficient and durable unit-structure ball and roller bearing,I in vwhich vthe pressure or weight is distributed over nearly, the entire bearing surface between the rollers andv balls, and the balls` and rollers are kept apartwithout the use of spacers or other devices for separating'V either the rollers or balls, which separating `devices are usually constructed in separable parts secured together bymeans of screws that are liable to work loose and drop out, often causing breakage ofthe bearingsand also producing friction and wear. 'My improved bear- ;ingis also adapted to be used in the saine positions and for the same purposes as the 0rdina-ry annular ball bearing adapted to sustain radial pressure only, and when similarly pla-ced is adapted to sustain both radial pressure and end thrust. The balls -being centrally disposed, take the pressure of the bearing between the rollers, while the rollers take the .pressure at each side, though with the construction shown in Figs. 8 to 13 the pressure at the center is on the rollers and at either side thereof the pressure is taken by both rollers and balls arranged iii circular series. Vhile the series of balls separating .the rollers are designed and adapted to sustain pressure and at the same time rve asa. mea-ns for separating the rollers, it may-be desirable in some cases to use balls of smaller size vadapted tolserve merely as a means for separating the rollers, lin which case the balls would be loosely confined between adjacent pairs o rollers, in contact with their axial connections, which, if rigid, might cause `the balls to rotate in a direction opposite to theldirection of rotation of the rollers, hence it 'may be desirable ,in such cases to provide .the rollers'with loose axial connections, as shown in Fig.r 7,- which .ar adapted to revolve 'independently of the rol ers, such vaxial portions having the function of idlers, for separating the balls, which in turn separate the rollers.4 The tapering bearing members or cup A and cone B1, Figs. 8 to-13, have substantially the form of the corresponding parts shown in Figs. 1 to 6., except that the cone has. be? tween the marginal grooves for the circular series of rollers at each side, two ball races o1, c1 and an intermediate raceway c2` for a third circular series of rollers D2. In this case,'the bands El' overlie the series of ball-s and are .perforated to permitl the' balls to protrude through such perforation's.

It will be observed that when the axial portions or connectionsbetween oppositely disposed rollers are rigid or integral there#l with, aspreferred, and illustrated in the principalxfigures ofthe drawings, one roller. of one circula-rl seriesvis an inseparable part of another roller of another series, consti-A tuting in e'ect a single conical roller rotat ing as one, with spaced portions thereof in contact" with the bearing surfaces of the rings and non-contacting intermediate portions, but the .conical form is retained whether the contact-ing portions ybe considered as separate or .independent roller elements, ;or whether the integral portions be considered as one, either construction being within the spirit and scope of myinvention, and lthez term conical as applied to the rollers in this specification including either form.

Various changes in details of construction and arrangement-'of -parts maybe made witl'ioutdeparting from the spirit and scope Having thus described invention, what I claimas new and desire to secure b United States Letters Patent is:

concentric rings having bearingA sur aces converging toward one side thereof., one ring having a series of annular grooves therein, a circular series of axes between said rings carrying 4a plurality of circular series of roller surfaces, and a circular series of pressure-sustaining and roller-separating balls between said circular series of rollersurfaces, the roller-surfaces of one series being of larger diameter than those of another series and each series of roller-surfaces and balls being confined in one of said annular grooves. l

2.'A unit-structure bearing comprising concentric rings having inclined confronting bearing surfaces which converge toward one side ofthe rings, one of the rings having a series of annular groopes therein, rollers arranged in circular series between'said rings, each series running in one of Said grooves, and a circular series of balls between rollers runningin anninterinediate annular groove and serving as separators for the' rollers while the latterserve as sep-- arators for'the balls.

3. A ballv and roller unit-structure bearing comprising concentric rings having inclined bearing surfaces which converge toward one side of the rings, the periphery of the outerV ring: extending parallel with its axis and at an angle to its interior bearing surface, one of the rings having a plurality of races therein and balls and rollers arranged in circular series between said rings, t-hereibeing a circular series of rollers at eaclLside of a circular-series of balls, the

rollers servlng as separators for the balls and the'balls serving as separators for the rollers.

4. A unit--structure bearingl comprising concentric rings whose bearing surfaces are inclined and converge toward one side, the outer ring having a smooth interior bearing surface, and the inner ring having a plurality of exterior annular grooves therein providing a raceway vfor' rollers at eachside and an intermediate raceway for balls, together with a circular series of rollers in one of said raceways at each side, and acircular 'series of balls between said series of rollers,

' the balls being separated by the rollers and the rollers separated by the balls.

5. In combination, concentric tapermg rings, one of which has a series of annular grooves therein providing raceWa-ys for rollers and balls, a circular series of axes carryi ing a plurality of circular series of rollersurfaces running in said raceways between Y yconcentric tapering Irings 1. A unit-structure bearing conslstln ofk 'bearlng' surface, andthe inner ring h'avi' 0 .roller-surfaces arrangedbetween said rin and balls 1n clrcular serles between said cir` lballs servingas separators one for the other,

sustain radial pressure and resist-end thrust;-

6'. Ae unit-structure bearing 70 lcomprising l, beari'nglmeini' smooth: in teriol bers, the outer ring havinga exterior annular grooves therein, Ta series of rollers between the'frings atea'chf' side thereof in 'one-of said grooves,andf a circular series of balls between said circular series of rollers, the racewaysfor the rollers having flat bottoms and marginal ribs or flanges', Vand the raceway vfor the balls being concave in vcross-section; the balls serving asseparators for the rollers,-and the rollers serving as separators for the balls.

7 A unitstructure bearing consisting of an outer ring or cup having a smoot-hi terior bearing surface tapering toward b side, an inner ring or cone having in its eX-ff teriorbearing surface a series of annular,- grooves, the bearing surfaces of the two` rings converging toward one side thereof, and aA circular series of rollers at each side and an intermediate circular series of balls between said rings runnin in said grooves and adapted to sustain radial pressure andiresist end thrust.

8. A unit-structure bearing comprising.

'outer and inner rings of substantially 'coni-` cal form, one of which has a ,pluralityy of,"

vannular grooves in its bearing surface, the

bearing surfaces of theV two rings convergeV lng toward one 51de, a circular serles of axes carrying a plurality of circular series of cular series of roller surfaces, said axes and and the balls adapted to sustain pressure and resist end thrust.

9. A unit-structure bearing comprising a cup and cone" having confronting b'earlng 110 surfaces which converge toward one side of' the rings, the cone having a plurality of eX- terior annular grooves therein, oneV groove extending about midway thereof and afnother alongeach margin or side, adouble circular series of rollers between said rings running in said marginal grooves and having axial portions rigid therewith connecting adjacent pairs, a vcircular series of balls running in said 'intermediate groove in contact with said axial portions and serving as separators for the rollers while the latter serve as separators for the balls.

10. unit-structure bearing comprising concentric rings having confronting bearing` 125 surfaces which converge toward one side ofthe rings, the inner ring'having a plurality of exterior annular grooves vin its periphery, and the outer ring having a smooth interior bearing surface, rollers of different sizes ar- 1 30' converge toward oneside t ereof, there be- I Correction Inv Letters PatentA No. 997,9.21I

ing a plurality of annular grooves in said surfaces, and a clrcul-ar serles of axes carryingl a plurality of clrcular series of roller- [SEAL] surfaces between said members, together' with a-eircnlar Series of vballs between the circular series of rollersurfaces, the rollersnrfaces of one -series being of larger diameter than thoseof another series.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY B. KEIPER.

lVitnesses z CHAs. E. LONG', C. A, Pnos'r.

It `is hereby certified that in Letters Patent-No. 997,921, granted July 11, 191.1

upon the application of Henry B. Keipexgof Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for an inil pronement in Antifriction-Bearings," an error appears in the Aprinted specification requiring correction as followsLPag-e 3, line 25, the Word f groopesshould read www; and that the Said Letters Patent should be read with thisI Correction thm-tit'.

that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and lsealed this 5th day of September, A. Dl', 1911.

F. A. frnrnvalafr,

Acting ommr'ssz'oner Qf Patents.

` converge toward oneside t ereof, there be- I Correction Inv Letters PatentA No. 997,9.21I

ing a plurality of annular grooves in said surfaces, and a clrcul-ar serles of axes carryingl a plurality of clrcular series of roller- [SEAL] surfaces between said members, together' with a-eircnlar Series of vballs between the circular series of rollersurfaces, the rollersnrfaces of one -series being of larger diameter than thoseof another series.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY B. KEIPER.

lVitnesses z CHAs. E. LONG', C. A, Pnos'r.

It `is hereby certified that in Letters Patent-No. 997,921, granted July 11, 191.1

upon the application of Henry B. Keipexgof Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for an inil pronement in Antifriction-Bearings," an error appears in the Aprinted specification requiring correction as followsLPag-e 3, line 25, the Word f groopesshould read www; and that the Said Letters Patent should be read with thisI Correction thm-tit'.

that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and lsealed this 5th day of September, A. Dl', 1911.

F. A. frnrnvalafr,

Acting ommr'ssz'oner Qf Patents.

Correction ln Letters Patent No. 997,921.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 997,921, granted July 11, 1911 upon the application of Henry B. Keiper, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for au imrovement in Antifriction-Bearin s an error a ars in the rinted s ecification g s P P requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 25, the word .groopes should read l gr'ooes; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of September, A. D., 1911.

F. A. TENNANT, Acting ommasoner of Patents` [SEAL] 

